MON 13 NOV 2006, Gold Coast Bulletin

AH, life's good if you're a pro surfer.
Perfect waves in exotic locations, plenty of girls flocking to see you compete and . . . your own shoe.

Yep, Snapper Rocks' champion surfer Joel Parkinson officially has his own signature shoe courtesy of
his footwear sponsor, Kustom. The Parko, developed over six months by the Kustom product and marketing  teams in co-operation with `team rider' Parkinson,  pays tribute to the boardriding club that kick-started his competitive career. The shoe is available in three colour schemes:  black, white or black/white/orange,  the colours of his beloved Snapper Rocks Boardriders Club.

``I'm not a shoe designer by any means,'' joked Parkinson.  ``But I am glad Kustom gave me the opportunity to work on a shoe and give my input. ``I'm pretty excited for it to hit the shelves. ``Snapper is my roots, it's where I grew up surfing. ``The boardriders club colours are black, white and orange and they are my favourite colour combination. ``I'm away from home so often these days, but now I get to take a piece of Snapper with me every time I travel.''

It sounds like a laugh but there is a serious side to the shoe. One per cent of global sales of the Parko shoe will be donated to a charity fund designed to encourage youth or help launch the careers  of emerging young talent from disadvantaged backgrounds.